French Patent Application Nos. 86/15944 and 86/15945 filed Nov. 17, 1986, disclose a cross-country ski boot and binding in which a front zone section on the boot cooperates with a stirrup journalled on the ski for pivotal movement about a first axis, and resiliently biased in a predetermined direction. The stirrup retains the boot to the binding when the sole of the boot rests flat on the ski. The toe of the boot is attached to the ski by the engagement of at least one pin on the toe with at least one homologous notch in either the stirrup or the ski. The notch opens in the direction of the ski and is situated on the same side as the first axis in relation to the toe of the boot. Alternatively, at least one notch in the toe of the boot cooperates with at least one homologous pin on the stirrup or on the ski, the last-mentioned notch opening towards the ski and situated on the same side as the first axis in relation to the toe of the boot. This arrangement defines a journalling of the boot about a second axis either parallel to the first axis, or merged with it.
The front zone of the boot and stirrup are in mutual contact between the two axes respectively on a surface facing the second axis, and on support means facing the second axis and supported on said surface in the predetermined direction. The support means are susceptible to disengaging said surface by rotation of the stirrup in a direction reverse to the predetermined direction.
The resilient bias of the stirrup urging rotation in the predetermined direction around its journalling axis on the ski, guarantees both retention of the boot to the ski by the stirrup, as well as supplying a resilient bias to the boot toward the position in which it rests flat on the ski in response to extentive movement of the boot during cross-country skiing.
The two patent applications mentioned above further describe a way to attach a boot to a ski by using a ski pole to impart rotation to the stirrup in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction. Such rotation of the stirrup by a ski pole effects a mutual engagement of the pin in the notch in response to downward movement of the boot relative to the ski. When the ski pole releases the stirrup, the resilient bias on the stirrup effects rotation of the latter into engagement with the boot thereby securing the same to the ski.
Such a way to attach the boot to a ski is technically satisfactory, but it has the drawback of being constraining to the skier who must apply his ski pole to the stirrup in order to rotate the stirrup against its resilient bias. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved cross-country ski boot and binding which overcomes the drawbacks of the prior art.